Process and apparatus for automatically and continuously dyeing a textile thread

ABSTRACT

The invention provides processes and apparatus for the continuous liquid treatment of a textile thread, which enables the thread to be dyed before winding on to a package and thus avoids the more expensive package or fabric dyeing operations.

p 20, 1971 J. AMENGUAL 3,605,146

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND CONTINUOUSLY DYEING A TEXTILE THREAD Filed March 20, 1969 2 Shuts-Shoot 1 N g l Sept. 20, 1971 J, AMENGUAL, 3,605,146

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR AU'I'OIA'I'ICALLY AND comzuuousm mmlm A TEXTILE THREAD Filed larch 20, 1969 2 Shoots-Shut a mww United States Patent 3,605,146 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATI- CALLY AND CONTINUOUSLY DYEING A TEXTILE THREAD Jean Amengual, Chemin du Couter, Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-dOr, France Filed Mar. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 808,911 Claims priority, application France, Mar. 20, 1968, 49,787, Feb. 27, 1969, Patent 5,509 Int. Cl. B05c 3/138 US. Cl. 8151.1 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides processes and apparatus for the continuous liquid treatment of a textile thread, which enables the thread to be dyed before winding on to a package and thus avoids the more expensive package or fabric dyeing operations.

In one form of the invention, the thread passes through one or more liquid tanks into which it is lowered on to a plate so that it falls into a helicoidal pile and from which it is drawn off downwardly through a hole in the centre of the plate. The apparatus may also include one or more drying stages where the thread passes through a tube bent into a sinusoidal formation.

In another form of the invention, the thread passes over rollers in a tank so that it is immersed in a washing liquid for the required length of time. The apparatus also includes drying tubes and a dye spray which the thread passes through.

The present invention relates to a process and an installation which allows dyeing of a natural or synthetic textile thread to be carried out automatically and continuously.

It is known that in established techniques the dyeing of the thread is carried out either after weaving or after winding. In the former case, it is therefore necessary to suspend a piece of cloth from a roller in order to dip it in a tank of dye. In the second case the bobbins of thread are stacked on the vertical arms of a plate which is then covered with a bell into which the bath of dye is pumped. In both cases, the dyeing necessitates the provision of special operations on an already treated thread. In addition, the distribution and the penetration are not perfectly identical for certain types of thread when they are thus treated after weaving or wound on bobbins.

The invention has the main aim of avoiding these disadvantages and of reducing the cost price of the treated thread. In addition, it allows operations of a new type to be carried out on the thread, and principally for it to be treated before being wound, contrary to the usual practice when the treatment is most often applied to an already woven cloth.

The process according to the invention consists of drawing a natural thread from a feed bobbin, to pass it between two revolving, horizontal cylinders from which is falls on to a fixed or revolving plate to feed the upper end of an approximately helicoidal stack from which the thread is drawn at the centre of the lower part whilst the plate is kept immersed in a tank of dye, the thread leaving between two pressure rollers to pass finally into a device for drying said, if required, for polymerisation, it being heated to the desired temperature, after which it is taken on an output bobbin. Between the drying tank and the output bobbin, it is possible, if required, to insert one or several supplementary tanks intended to subject the thread to any desired treatment. For example, it is possible to make the dried thread fall on to a fixed or revolving plate immersed in the treatment bath of an additional tank, which the thread leaves after being drawn from the lower end 3,605,146 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 of the helicoidal stack that it forms, to pass between two pressure rollers and fall into another drying tank before being sent to the output bobbin. If the treated thread is formed of a synthetic material, it may be of advantage to make it pass above a burner flame, to subject it to a gassing treatment immediately it is drawn from the feed bobbin, that is to say, before sending it into the first dye tank.

Between the dye bath and the drying or polymerisation device, it is possible to provide a second passage of the thread through the dye bath, then through a rinsing tank so as to unify the impregnation of the thread, as is necessary in certain cases.

Following a first possible manufacturing method, the thread is subjected to a heat-fixing operation after the dyeing stage and to a hot pre-forming process after the treatment stage; for this, in both cases, the thread is passed through a heated worm, and its passage is ensured by an air pump which sucks it out of the exit. The principle of their air pumps is itself known. Nevertheless, the use of this apparatus on the machine according to the invention presents the advantage of keeping the thread at a constant tension within the worms, under the action of a pull which does not risk breaking or deteriorating it. The whole of these arrangements allows the thread to be circulated at speeds above or equal to 1,000 metres per minute, which endows the installation assembly with an excellent profiting-earning capacity.

The speed of movement of the thread, and the length of thread accumulated in each of the different tanks or worms constitutes variables which are naturally regulated in accordance with the nature of the thread and of the treatment chosen.

The machine according to the invention comprises a succession of tanks or worms placed side by side which constitutes a linear assembly above which are arranged the dilferent pumps or pairs of pressure rollers. The speed of rotation of the latter must be strictly synchronised to ensure that the thread has the desired circulation speed and to allow it to remain for the required time in the difierent tanks.

If a length of a hundred metres, approximately constitutes sufficient reserve, the tank or tanks in question are arranged with a fixed plate on to which the thread falls freely and winds upon itself in a helicoidal path. The thread arrives at the top of the roll and is drawn olf from the bottom, through a hole provided in the centre of the fixed plate. The thread, continuously fed, thus remains the required time in the tank.

If, on the contrary, the characteristics of the thread and of the operation to which it is being subject in the tank necessitate a longer time of rest, the thread is made to fall on to a revolving plate, near to the circumference. There is thus obtained a stack or roll which extends all around the plate, and from which the thread is drawn continuously through a central opening. In these conditions, experience has shown that it is possible to deposit as much as a thousand metres of thread on a single revolving plate, without the free thread having a tendency to tangle.

If it is desired to treat not only single-ply threads but also textured or twisted threads, since the operations of texturisation and of twisting are carried out continously on the same installation as the dyeing, the process is carried on by drawing from one or several feed bobbins one or several threads which are assembled and then circulated successively in a bleaching bath, by passing around guide pulleys, then between two horizontal drawing cylinders which carry out simultaneously the pressing and the impregnation, after which the thread or threads pass into a worm where they are dried, pre-formed and, if required, submitted to a commencement of texturisation under the action of a current of hot air which facilitates the circulation in this worm to the exit, from which they pass below banks of sprays of dye, of stitlening or of other liquid treatment, to pass between another two draw and impregnation rollers, then into an apparatus to ensure the wet twisting, then into another worm where the circulation of hot air causes drying, postforming, if necessary with texturisa tion and polymerisation, to be collected finally on a winding station. If the treated thread is formed of a synthetic material, it may be advantageous to pass it above a burner flame to subject it to a gassing operation either before or after the bleaching stage.

The corresponding machine comprises a succession of tanks, of worms, of blowing or sucking air nozzles and finally spray banks which constitute a linear assembly for continuous treatment. In particular, it will be seen that it is possible to place several machines of this type side by side to treat a large number of threads simultaneously. In certain cases, rather than place end to end, for example ten identical machines, it may be preferable to place ten of them side by side, in which case it is possible to unwind the Worms, that is to say, to replace each one of them by a straight tube of the same length. The length of each tube or worm is calculated in relation to the circulation speed of the threads and of the rest time necessary to carry out the required treatment.

Finally, it is possible to construct the machine with the general shape of a hairpin, which places side by side the entrance and exit positions: this allows a single operator to oversee the working of the assembly.

The attached drawing, given by way of non-limiting example, will allow the characteristics of the invention to be better understood.

FIG. 1 is an elevation in part section of a machine according to the invention for the dyeing and continuous treatment of a synthetic thread,

FIG. 2 is a part plan view of this machine,

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the plate device designed to build up a reserve of thread in each tank,

FIG. 4 shows the detail of this device in the case of a fixed plate, that is to say, for a reserve of relatively small length,

FIG. 5 shows the revolving plate of a device intended to receive a reserve of great length,

FIG. 6 is an elevation in part section of another possible method of construction of a machine according to the invention, specially designed for a thread circulating at very great speed,

FIG. 7 is a section to a large scale showing the detail of one of the air pumps which ensure the circulation of the thread,

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal diagram of a machine according to the invention,

FIG. 9 is a similar view of a constructional variant in which is included a singeing stage,

FIG. 10 shows another variant in which the worms, unwound, are replaced by straight tubes, and

FIG. 11 illustrates the installation of a machine of hairpin shape, in which the entrance and exit positions are placed side by side.

The installation shown in FIG. 1 comprises several juxtaposed tanks, namely, a dye tank 1, a rinsing tank 2, a drying and polymerisation tank 3, a treatment tank 4, and a drying tank 5.

The tank 1 is preferably divided into two compartments 6 and 7 by a perforated vertical partition 8. This tank 1 contains a bath of dye 9.

The tank 2 encloses a bath of rinse 10. The tank 4 contains a bath of treatment 11, the nature of which can vary according to the treatment desired; most frequently, it is a matter of solution in water which may be simply of size, or else constitute an antistatic or crease-resistant treatment. The compartment 6 and the tanks 2, 3, 4 and 5 each enclose an accumulation device A of the type shown 4 in FIG. 3. There have been added to the reference A indices 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (FIG. 1) to differentiate the mechanisms of each tank.

The device A may be either of the type illustrated in FIG. 4, which includes a fixed horizontal plate 12, or of the type shown in FIG. 5, where there is provided a horizontal plate 13 revolving around a vertical axis.

In both cases, the fixed plate 12 or the revolving plate 13 is attached to a cylindrical rim 14.

The thread 15 advances in the direction indicated in FIG. 3 by the arrow 16. and it is delivered by two revolving cylinders B. After the cylinders B, the thread 15 falls freely on to the plate 12 or 13.

If it is a question of a fixed plate 12 (FIG. 4), the thread 15 falls above its centre and it accumulates in a helicoidal pile 17. This pile may reach, without falling, a height sufficient to constitute a reserve of the order of metres of thread. The thread is drawn off continuously at the lower part of the pile 17 through a central hole 18 of the bottom 12, as shown by the arrow 19. Then it is raised in the direction of the arrow 20 (FIG. 3), for example by passing over return pulleys 21.

If, on the other hand, it is desired to accumulate a reserve of thread of the order of 300 to 1,000 metres, for preference, the device A with a revolving plate is used (FIG. 5). The thread 15 then falls near to the circumference of the plate which turns in the direction of the arrow 22. There is thus obtained a pile of thread 23 which extends around a central aperture 18 of the plate 13, through which the thread 15 is drawn continuously as shown by the arrow 19.

At the entrance to the machine illustrated in FIG. 1 there is provided a feed bobbin 24 from which the thread 15 is drawn in a natural state. This thread passes above a gas burner 25 of known type where it is subject to a gassing operation, as is current practice for polyester threads. Then the thread 15 passes between a first pair of rotating pressure cylinders B1, from where it falls into the compartment 6 and on to the fixed or revolving plate of the device A1. The thread rises out of the dye bath 9 to pass between two pressure cylinders B3. The thread thus forms one or several loops, the lower parts of which are held under slight tension by the weight of a block of cylinders or pulleys 26 immersed in the bath 9. The thread passes again between the cylinders B3, then it reaches a pair of cylinders B4. from which it falls into the bath of rinse 10 in the tank 2. It rests there for the desired time in the form of a reserve of thread within the device A2, then it is drawn below the centre of the fixed or revolving plate of this device to reascend between two pressure cylinders B5. The thread then falls on to the device A3 of the tank 3, where it is held for the desired time at a temperature capable of ensuring both its drying and its polymerisation. This temperature may be, for example, of the order of 200, whilst the reserve of thread of the device A3 corresponds for example to a length of 300 metres. The thread re-emerges from the tank 3 between two pressure or distributing cylinders B6, which send it on to the accumulation device A4 of the tank 4. This tank contains the treatment bath 11 which has been mentioned previously. The thread comes out again between two pressure cylinders B7 which direct it on to the device A5 of the tank 5. This tank ensures the final drying, at a temperature which may be, for example of the order of 100. Finally the thread is wound on a bobbin 27 which is used to withdraw it.

It will be seen that the process according to the invention has the originality of carrying out continuously and directly on the thread 15, all the operations of dyeing, drying or treatment, before the thread 15 is even wound on to the bob-bin 27 which is then used for stocking or for delivery. It is possible, of course, to remove the tanks 4 and 5, or on the contrary, to add further tanks to the machine in relation to the desired treatment.

In addition, the production capacity of the machine will be appreciably increased by placing several threads 15 side by side on each pair of pressure rollers B.

There is shown in FIGS. 6' and 7 a constructional method especially designed to ensure that the thread circulates at high speed.

The operation is as follows:

The thread 15 drawn from the bobbin 24 passes over the gassirrg burner 25, then it goes through a stage 28 where it is subjected to a known washing or bubble removing process. This operation has the aim of thoroughly cleaning the thread by removing, on the one hand the grease which it contained on the bobbin 24 and, on the other hand, the impurities resulting from gassing. Then the thread passes through a drying stage 29 from which it goes between the cylinders B, which comprise a foulard. The thread 15a which is sent into the dye tank is hence perfectly clean and is turned in a uniform way into an absorbent condition. It falls on to the fixed bottom 12 of the device A, then emerges as previously shown between the pressure rollers B2. The compression and release to which it is subjected at this point ensure that the dye with which it is impregnated penetrates very uniformly throughout. After the cylinders B2, the thread circulates inside a worm 30 where it is heated to ensure the heat fixing of the dye and, if required, its polymerisation. The worm 30 may be made from a glass or plastic tube.

An air pump D1 is placed at the exit of the worm 30, to ensure the high speed circulation of the thread by keeping it taut after the cylinders B2. This air pump is itself of known type, and a detail of it is shown in FIG. 7 referenced D. It comprises an entrance tube 31 for the thread 15, prolonged in an elbow shape by an exit tube 32, whilst a smaller diameter tube 33 enters the tube 32 co-axially. Compressed air is blown into the tube 32 as shown by the arrow 34, thus producing a siphon effect and sucking the thread which circulates in the direction of the arrow 35.

The thread is thus kept taut between the cylinders B2 and the pump D1 by a very flexibly acting pneumatic efiect, that is to say, in the case of an accident, or the sudden checking of the thread, there is no risk of the suction breaking the thread. On the other hand, this suction effect is very strong, and it ensures high-speed circulation. After the pump D1, the thread passes between the cylinders B6, from where it falls into the treatment bath 11, where there is a device A4 with a fixed bottom 12. The thread emerges between the pressure cylinders B7, then it passes into another worm 36, on the exit of which is fitted another air pump D2 of the afore-mentioned type. This worm 36 is heated to the temperature required to subject the thread to a fixing or preforming operation. As previously, the air pump D2 ensures the high-speed circulation of the thread while keeping it taut after the cylinders B7.

At the exit of the pump D2, the thread falls on to an inclined plane 37 to be finally wound on to the bobbin 27.

The inclined plane 37 may be replaced by a conveyor belt or by any known mechanism provided to give some slack and to leave the operator time to intervene in case of thread breakage, or to change the bobbin, without having to stop the machine.

The washing stage 28 and the drying stage 29 are preferably also constituted by worms such as 30 and 36, in which the thread circulates by the suction of a pump, which additionally ensures that the thread leaves the exit instantaneously.

The installation shown in FIG. 8 comprises several stages, which are:

An assembly stage 101;

A washing, degreasing or de-sizing stage 102;

A treatment, wringing and impregnation stage 103;

A drying and preforming stage 104 in which the thread,

if required, is subjected to a shrinking operation to ensure a start of texturisation;

Stage in which the thread is subjected to water based treatments such as dyeing or sizing;

A treatment and impregnation stage 106;

A wet re-twisting stage 107;

A stage 108 in which are carried out operations such as drying, shrinking, texturisation, postforming, heat-fixing, polymerisation, or mercerising of the thread;

An exit or winding stage 109.

The assembly stage 101 comprises several bobbins 10 and 11, each one supplying a thread such as 112 or 113. These threads are assembled in the known way by passage through an eyelet 114, after which they form a composite assembled thread 115.

This thread 115 passes around three pulleys 116, 117, and 118 which carry it to stage 102 within a bath of liquid 119 contained in a tank 120, for washing, degreasing or de-sizing.

After the pulley 118, the thread 115 passes between two revolving cylinders 121 and 122 where it is compressed, which ensures both wringing and impregnation. In addition, the controlled rotation of the rollers 121 and 122 causes the thread to be drawn to the stage 103.

In stage 104, the thread penetrates through an entry nozzle 123, into worm 124, which it leaves through an exit nozzle 125. At the entry a tube 126 allows hot compressed air to be blown into the worm 124 at the level of the nozzle 123. This circulation of hot air facilitates the advance of the thread which is sucked into the worm 124. In addition, the temperature of the blown air (in the region of 220 to 250 C.) ensures the drying, preforming and, if required, the beginning of texturisation of the thread.

After the exit nozzle 1'25 of stage 104, the thread 115 penetrates into the entry nozzle 12 of stage 105, where a pipe 28 blowing compressed air again facilitates the circulation of the thread. The thread 115 passes beneath a bank of dye sprays 129 placed inside a chamber 130 where it passes through the mist 131, constituted, for example, of a treatment or dyeing liquid. This liquid falls into a tank '132 from which it is drawn by a pump 133 which ensures its circulation in a closed circuit by sending it back to the bank of sprays 129.

After stage 105, the thread 115 passes to stage 106, between two controlled revolving cylinders 134 and 135 which carry out drawing and impregnation.

Then the assembled thread 115 passes through the retwisting stage 107, which is formed by a machine 136 of known type which it is not necessary to show in detail. In this machine the thread is re-twisted in a wet condition, giving rise to a twisted thread 137 which is admitted to the entry nozzle 138 of stage 108. Here again, hot compressed :air blown into the nozzle 138 by a tube 139 facilitates the circulation of the thread 137 inside a tubular worm 140, which thread leaves through a nozzle 141. In the worm 140, the thread 137 is subjected to the operations of drying, shrinking, texturisation, postforming, heat-fixing, polymerisation, or mercerising.

On leaving the nozzle 141 of stage 108, the twisted thread 137 passes through a ring 142, then a ring 143, before being wound on a bobbin 144, driven in rotation at stage 109 by a motor assembly of known type.

Thus, after its continuous circulation in the installation 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106', 107, 108, 4109, there is obtained on bobbin 144, a thread which has been subjected, in particular, to the operations of texturisation dyeing, twisting and fixing.

In the variant of FIG. 9, there has been added, between stages 108 and 109, a singeing or gassing stage 146 in which the thread goes through the flame 147 of the burners 148. Naturally, this singeing or gassing stage 146 could equally well be placed at another point in the machine, for example, between the entry ring 114 and the washing stage 102.

The structure shown in the FIGS. 8 and 9 is that of a relatively short machine, which includes the worms 124 and 1 40. In certain cases, if it is desired to construct a shed in which there are several [machines of this type, it may be preferable to unwind the worms 124 and 140. In fact, rather than place several machines with worms, it may be advantageous to install several machines side by side, replacing the worms 124 and 140 by straight tubes 149 and 150 (as in the case of FIG. 10).

Another method of installation has been illustrated in FIG. 11. Here the machine has been given the general shape of a hairpin, by using a tube 149 or 150 which has been bent into a U shape, which brings the exit stage 109 by the side of the entry stage 101. A single operative therefore has the opportunity of overseeing the operation of the whole machine.

What is claimed is:

II- A process for the continuous treatment of a textile thread which comprises passing the thread successively through a washing bath wherein it follows a tortuous path over guide pulleys, then through nip rollers which carry out wringing and impregnation, then through a drying tube wherein the thread is dried and preformed, then through a spray of a liquid treating agent, then through nip rollers which draw the thread and ensure impregnation, then through apparatus for twisting the thread in a wet condition, then through further drying apparatus and finally to a take-up package.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the second drying stage includes polymerisation and/ or texturisation.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a gassing stage before the washing stage.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a gassing stage after the washing stage.

5. Apparatus for the continuous treatment of a textile thread comprising a thread supply station, a washing tank with rollers to guide the thread in a tortuous path through the tank, squeezing rollers for a thread issuing from the tank, a drying tube, means for progressing a thread through the drying tube, a spray device adapted to spray liquid on to the thread, squeeze rollers for a thread issuing from the spray device, a thread twisting device, a second drying tube and thread take up means all arranged in series.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which each drying tube is in the form of a helix.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 which is arranged in a linear form.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 which is arranged in the form of a hairpin so that entry and exit stages are side-by-side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,396,792 11/1921 Taylor 8l52 2,108,285 2/1938 Forrest 8151.1X

2,568,499 9/1951 Hood 6 8-Dig. 1

FOREIGN PATENTS 799,821 4/1936 France 8--l5l.2

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

8-l5l.2, 152; 68--19.l, 22 

